How Sweet It Is!

Sugar, syrups, sweeteners, substitutes ...what is best?

Do you know that most North Americans consume at least their body weight in sugar each year if not more!?

Personally I try to stay away from refined sugars, I don't use honey (yes the vegan thing, you do know honey is bee vomit right?) and I certainly don't touch chemicals called artificial sweeteners.

Sugar weakens your immune system and is linked to causing cancer and building up yeast in the body.

To follow along with me on this program you need to eliminate artificial sweeteners from your diet and we will talk more about sugar in future posts.

If I must use a sweetener and it depends on what I'm using it for, I do try to to lean towards "natural" sweeteners like maple syrup, agave nectar and stevia. However, these products are not for everyone. The good thing about these sweeteners is that other than being natural, they don't cause the crash you would get from refined sugars because of their glycemic index (GI).

Also because of the effect they can have on the body pregnant women and those trying to get pregnant should really watch their intake. For those who follow my fertility blog (FertilityToday.blogspot.com) you know that I sent "Sarah" (not her real name) for many tests one of them being uric acid and to test her PH balance, to see if she was fructose sensitive and needed to stay under 25-30 grams a day and to see how acidic her body was.

Still just because something is "natural" does not necessarily mean it's good for you. For example the agave syrup that I like to use is not for everyone. It's high fructose which can lead to obesity (it's stored as fat), high blood pressure, diabetes and more. This doesn't mean these plant sugars don't have health properties, especially if consumed in small portions, they do.

Again as with any of these sweeteners it depends on brand, how they are processed, and what, if anything is added to them.

I like stevia. I think it is the safest alternative to refined sugar. Like agave nectar you can also get it in flavours like vanilla, hazelnut and English toffee for those who like to sweeten their "coffee".
Assignment:

So step one, I want you to stop using refined sugars, bee regurgitation (honey), and artificial sweeteners.

Step two, I want you to go out and purchase either Stevia or Agave Nectar and start experimenting with them in places you would normally use sugar or a sweetener.

We will be having a lot more conversations on sweeteners to come.

The cleaner your palate becomes the less you will feel the need to sweeten everything. For example you may begin to enjoy herbal teas for their natural flavour rather than the habit of sugaring it to make it taste good.

Ciao for now